Improved device for cutting the noses of swine to prevent them from rooting



UNITED STATES 4PATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN HURD, OF SPRING HILL, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVED DEVICE FOR CUTTING THE NOSES 0F SWINE T0 PREVENT THEM FROMROOTING.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,368, dated February11, 1862.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, REUBEN I-IURD, of Spring Hill, in the county ofWhiteside and State of Illinois, have invented a new and ImprovedImplement or Device for Cutting the Noses of Swine to Prevent Them fromBooting; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-Figure l is a side view of my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of thesame.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severaliigures.

The object of this invention is to obtain a simple and efficientimplement for cutting the noses or snouts of swine so as to prevent themfrom rooting, and thereby supersede the ordinary practice of ringing foreffecting the same result.

The invention consists in the employment or use of a cutter Iand blockattached to the ends of levers which cross each other and are connectedby a fulcrum-pin similar to the levers of a pair of scissors, all beingarranged as hereinafter fully shown and described to effect the desiredpurpose.

T0 enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A B represent two levers which cross each other and are connected by afulcrum-pin a similar to the levers of a pair of scissors, each leverbeing provided at one end with an eye l? to receive respectively thefinger and thumb of the operator. (See Fig. l.)

The lever A has its front or outer part curved in semicircular form,anda curved cutter C is formed thereon, the cutting-edge c of said cutterfacing backward or toward the eye b of its lever A. The lever B also hasits outer part curved, but it has a quick bend or curve, so as to extenddown about at right angles to its other part and j ust back of thecutter C. This front part of the leverB has ablock D attached to it,which may be of hard wood or other material that will receive the edgecof the knife without injuring it. The blockD has its face at rightangles with the cutter O when the latter is brought in contact with it,a result which is attained by forcing together the back ends of thelevers A B. The levers AB may be of iron, but the cutter O should be ofsteel properly tempered.

The implement is used as follows: The animalto be operated upon isgrasped by the operator or an attendant and the operator distends theback parts of the levers A B by means of the finger and thumb, andthereby throws out the knife C from the block D. The block D is thenplaced against the end of the upper part of the snout of the animal,(shown in red,) and the knife is then forced against the block D, theformer passing through the rim of the snout and severing it, so that theanimal loses all power overl it for rooting purposes. The operation maybe very quickly performed, and does not require to be repeated, as thecartilage will not unite after being cut.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

An implement or device formed of the levers A B, provided respectivelywith the cutter C and block D, arranged to operate as and for thepurpose herein set forth.

REUBEN HURD. Witnesses:

LYMAN D. CHASE, R. A. MAJoRs.

